Almaty, July 31, 2023
On 31 July, an online meeting between participants of the YISK Open Parliament project and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's Network of Young Parliamentarians took place, arranged with the support of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.
Open Parliament is a project of the Youth Information Service of Kazakhstan supported by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana, which focuses on participation of young experts in decision-making processes. In 2023, the project involves 13 organizations and experts from the fields of urban science and urban environment, gender equality, violence against women, LGBT rights, rights of people with special needs, elections and freedom of speech. The project provides trainings on parliamentary engagement and legislative initiative, after which the experts are included in the working parties of the lower house of Parliament.
The scope of activities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Programme Office in Astana covers security issues, including arms control, borders control, combating terrorism and human traffic, arms and drugs, as well as economic and environmental issues, human rights and issues of supremacy of law and freedom of media.
«We offer an opportunity for young parliamentarians to discuss challenges and problems they face in their countries in order to identify the key areas for further engagement. Moreover, this meeting provides an opportunity for all those here present to share their experiences and best practices relating to participation of youth in the political processes of OSCE participating States at the national level, as well as to coordinate international efforts in promoting the youth agenda», — said Jaroslaw Kurek, Senior Political-Military Officer at the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.
Manuchekhr Salokhudinov, Programme Officer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Mr. David Stögmüller MP (Austria), Chair of the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians, Ms. Lilia Rannveig Sigurgeirsdottir, Member of Parliament (Iceland), Vice-Chair of the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians, as well as members of the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians, Ms. Federica Onori (Italy) and Mr. Pol Bartolome Areny (Andorra) held a working meeting with Kazakhstani experts.
The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was established to assess the achievement of OSCE goals and to discuss the specific issues raised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of OSCE participating States promoting thereby peace and conciliation. A particular focus of the Assembly is combating terrorism. Among the 323 parliamentarians representing 34 countries, the Parliamentary Assembly is composed of 10 per cent young people and 40 per cent women.
«OSCE parliamentary decisions unrelated to legal obligations of the member countries but along with this they have great political force – they have the support of 53 countries, including the Vatican», — clarified Manuchekhr Salokhudinov, Programme Officer of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
The fact that the OSCE works at the multinational level, where experience and contributions of each country are important and voices of different groups of society are taken into account, has added particular value to the discussion.
«Any democratic system is built on consensus and cooperation, including but not limited to taking into account the views of young people. With due regard for the challenges we face, including Russia’s shocking war in Ukraine, development of artificial intelligence and climate change, we need to unite and create political institutions capable of protecting the future generation from negative influences and risks», — said David Stögmüller, Member of the Austrian Parliament and Chairman of the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians.
OSCE PA representatives and Kazakhstani experts discussed their work in various committees and working focuses: family policy, migration issues, law enforcement, artificial intelligence, social vulnerability of HIV-positive citizens, health care and social security systems.
Kazakhstani participants highly appreciated the dialog with the OSCE PA experts.
«At the meeting with members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, I have gained experience of HIV epidemic reduction policies in Iceland and Austria. Our country is also developing this direction of pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis, but we are still on the way to development. I would like to learn more about approaches to providing social services for people living with HIV», — said Lyudmila Polyakova, Head of the Teenagizers initiative.
«To development democracy in Kazakhstan, it is important to promote the civic engagement of young people and increase the level of their participation in decision-making processes. In this regard, interaction with the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians gives civic activists from Kazakhstan an opportunity to get the best international practices of democratic countries and the role of youth in political life of these countries, as well as to learn inspiring examples of achievements of OSCE young parliamentarians, so that it gives strength for further work», — summarized the Head of ‘Civi’ Foundation Yersyn Kudiyarov.
The young OSCE parliamentarians noted that they had visited the Central Asian region many times and considered it important to build networks and relationships with other countries.
«The exchange of views with national representatives of the Central Asian parliaments expands opportunities in decision-making in the OSCE. And if the documents we adopt in the Parliamentary Assembly reflect the position and preferences not only of European or North American parliamentarians, but also of Central Asian parliamentarians, this will enrich our resolutions and declarations», — concluded Mr. Pol Bartolome Areny (Andorra), member of the OSCE PA Network of Young Parliamentarians.
